The Royal & Derngate’s artistic director Laurie Sansom hosted a special event to introduce highlights from his last ever Made In Northampton season.
The 2013 season, which begins this week is Sansom’s swansong as he is leaving to head up the National Theatre of Scotland.
Three comedies, written by three of the country’s most beloved playwrights - Willy Russell’s One for the Road, Alan Ayckbourn’s Mr Whatnot and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream - form the core of the year followed by two gripping dramas, Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel and the world premiere of the stage adaptation of To Sir, With Love.
One for the Road, which opens tomorrow and runs until Feb 23, is Sansom’s last production at the venue. This hilariously observant ’80s comedy finds Dennis, on the eve of his birthday, making a desperate attempt to ditch the trappings of his newly acquired middle class life. Imprisoned on Phase Two of a new housing estate and surrounded by Tupperware parties, Richard Clayderman fans and garden gnomes, Dennis yearns for his youth of road trips and music festivals.
Con O’Neill (Dennis), has been closely associated with Russell’s work including his Olivier Award-winning performance as Mickey in Blood Brothers. He also recently played record producer Joe Meek in both the West End play and film of Telstar. The cast also includes Michelle Butterly (Benidorm’s Trudy), Nicola Stephenson (Brookside) and Matthew Wait (Casualty’s Luke Warren).
Alan Ayckbourn rarely seen early play, Mr Whatnot, is a side-splitting farce in the very best of traditions (think Mr Bean goes to Downton). It’s a wonderfully silly tale of havoc and mayhem.
Gary Sefton (who directed A Christmas Carol, Diary Of A Nobody and Travels With My Aunt for R&D) takes on Shakespeare’s best loved comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
This new production sets the action in Edwardian England.
For more information/ tickets visit www.royalandderngate.co.uk or call the box office on 01604 624811.